Grades and Subject! -Translation

This is my translation version of कुन ग्रेड, कुन विषय ?

In Nepal, every year almost 4 lakhs students give their SEE examination. See examination is a final examination of Grade 10, which promotes the students to their high school also known as colleges in Nepalese background. After SEE, students are given choices among various faculties to choose among according to their future aim. But in this choosing process, families play a major role. Most of the families decide what their child will study further which leads to so much of internal dispute within that students. This post addresses such issue and describes the situation from a student’s point of view!

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(12’o clock midnight, Dark room)
Entire family have been smiling for the whole day today after I got ‘A’ grade in SEE. I too am extremely happy as my hard work for all these 13 years in school have paid off really well, But still I am not being able to smile at all. When I returned home after giving my last paper of SEE, -mom and dad clearly said that I will be taking science for further studies and be doctor or engineer in the future. “What’s the hurry, I will decide it later!” I told them and avoided that topic for then. Today after the result I have started to feel that pressure and urgency again. Dad even asked me to be ready tomorrow for visiting a science college. I am totally in dilemma about what to do and what not.

(Turns around) From my childhood I have always loved literature, poetry and all other literary works. I have even published my articles in national dailies. I always said I wanted to be a writer from my childhood, but I think mom and dad always took it as a joke. Whenever in school I was asked about my aim, I would happily say about being a writer but my teacher and friends used to laugh at me hearing that. But all those laugh never made me regret my choice and give up on being a writer.

Mom and dad always say that writers donot have a strong financial support as well as is not a respectable job in our society, It will ruin my future and theirs too is what they always say. I read books by Bhanubhakta, Laxmiprasad, Parijat, Paulo Coelho, Chetan Bhagat and many more from my early childhood. I always see them loved by so many people, even I respect them so much, I clearly don’t understand what my parents are talking about.

Three years ago, my aunt’s daughter was also forcefully admitted in science college, she complained that she cannot understand science still was forced in that faculty. Now, she has failed in 4 subjects in grade 12 and has stopped studying because she’s ashamed to repeat her class again.

Even my mom and dad know that I hate science, I start getting fever when I start reading it, still they are forcing me to read science. Your friend who got B grade will study science and you with A grade will study arts, aren’t you ashamed is what they said. I nearly got slapped because I told them that it would be better to be ashamed now than being fail and having to repeat class again. I didn’t say anything wrong. I don’t like science, I find it hard, so I want to read arts, which I love and I know I will do better in, I just wanted to explain that to them.

Whoever gave the blessings in Dashain to be doctor or engineer when I grow up I just want to meet them once and ask why didn’t you say be teacher, be driver,be whatever you want as long as you’re happy! I really want to ask them!

(2’0 clock in the morning)
It’s already 2 am. Only if I could share all these feelings to my parents, I would be visiting Arts college tomorrow instead of Science college. But instead of wasting my time, energy and also my parent’s money, I think I should make my parents understand what I really want to read and why. I know it is hard, but if they agree I know everything will be worth it in the end. I will wake up tomorrow and tell all this to my parents, who knows they may even agree on my points.
(Sets alarm and sleeps)

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Whatever you read above is a fictional story. But, if we look around us we can find this case easily everywhere. We all dream about being something when we grow up. After school we are given a choice among faculties where we need to choose according to our future aim. While selecting, all the above mentioned feelings play in that student’s mind.

We shouldn’t be doctor or engineer is not what I am expressing here. But those students who have zero interest in science, if forced to read that subject just because he got A grade in his finals, will change the entire situation and the student’s condition too. What interests the students are cared less, rather what grade they got and what suits to read with that grade is cared more. The decision made by parents on the basis of the grade their child got and what suits to read with that grade is really destroying so many children’s life around us. Even when they pass their highschool taking science with less marks, after that what they will study further really confuses the student more. But have really anyone thought the mental pressure and the feeling of what that child might have been going through all because of these irrational decisions? I barely see anyone who cares about it.

Even colleges are involved in this disparity. Whenever a student gets A grade in their SEE examination, they call the parents and ask them bring their child to their college, and they also promise to grant full scholarship if admitted in science faculty.

My actual question is, Are students with A grade not allowed to read Arts, Management, Law, or education? Are A grade students born for science only? If so, then how will a country get a good teacher, a good lawyer and a good politician or a good economist. If every student of good grades are forced to read science even when some of them don’t want to, how will a country get a good government officer? How will a country progress if there are only good doctors and engineers and other sectors forever remains backward?

Are students capable of studying science just because they get A grade in their finals, let alone science are they capable to read any subject which they don’t have any interest on just on the basis of their grades? I think everyone must look on this matter seriously once!

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Note: While translating I wasn’t able to completely translate the Nepali sentences in English. There might be many mistakes. Will keep on improving. Correction suggestions will be appreciated.

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Life is a matter of choices and every choice you make, Makes you!

– Albert Einstein

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